Getting Great Results Without Wasting Money

Getting Great Results Without Wasting Money

Regardless of whether you are someone that wants to invest a lot in your appearance, or someone that tries to spend as little as possible, the whole reason you undertake treatment in the first place is because you want to get results.

The following articles will explain some common factors that determine your chances of getting the results you want; and how you can avoid being fooled by common business tactics that seduce you into wasting your time and your money.

A new client recently switched over to GCLC from another clinic. Like many others we treat, she had spent thousands on 'cheap' laser hair removal yet noticed barely any improvement after over 20 treatments!

Not all service providers are the same in their approach to care.

At GCLC you are treated by a highly trained Registered Nurse (the only clinic in Victoria where this is possible) with no sales targets to meet. Your appointments are long, safe, professional and thorough, and you are treated with the best technology and products available.

These are just some of the factors that explain why you always receive a wonderful experience, and superior results at GCLC.

During her next appointment, the previously mentioned client stated seeing more improvement after 1 session at Gippsland Cosmetic Laser Clinic than from all 20+ treatments received elsewhere. The client was amazed by the difference in service and results, and said she wished she had found us earlier.

We hear this story daily, as more and more clients make the decision to visit GCLC after unintentionally wasting a lot of time and money experimenting with various low-budget services.

The old adage "you get what you pay for" is very true.

Whenever you decide to get a cosmetic treatment, make it your first priority to get the best service you can. Choose a place with a reputation for professionalism. Seek out high quality, safe and ethical practices, with highly-qualified caregivers driven to care for you with no sales targets.

Do it right the first time.

How do you feel when you are subjected to pressure selling?

At GCLC, we strongly believe 'sales targets' are unethical and highly dangerous in an industry that deals with a person's self-esteem.

In our opinion, it is not possible for a staff member to provide you with unbiased, ethical service or advice if they are required to hit sales targets set by a company or management. As such, GCLC staff have never, and will never be asked to meet any sales targets or KPI's whatsoever.

At Gippsland Cosmetic Laser Clinic, we take great pride in our reputation as a highly ethical practice, and we absolutely reject this typical cosmetic business model.

Our clients frequently comment on the different feeling they experience when visiting our clinics.

Registered Nurses at GCLC are not motivated by benefits based on sales ability, but rather by empathy and care for others.

Each member of our Registered Nursing team has integrity. They are driven to nurture a client's self-esteem by providing the best results they can with the least intervention, and when necessary talking people out of unnecessary treatment.

Drawn to the field by their genuine interest in aesthetic medicine, they are constantly inspired by the life-changing results provided to our clients.

Join the thousands of people using GCLC's services, and feel the difference for yourself.

Package deals always look attractive because they seem cheaper. But what if you discover the service is terrible? Or realise it's not working after a couple of sessions?

Once you have paid for a package, you are trapped.

If things don't turn out how you'd expected, you will be faced with 2 choices: Forfeit your money, or waste months of your time completing the package before you can go elsewhere. Many new clients tell us of this experience before deciding to visit GCLC.

At GCLC you will never be offered a package because we aim to deliver you the best results we can in the least amount of sessions.

In fact, we are so confident that we can provide great results quickly that we have always offered maintenance prices on common hair removal areas if you still have hair after our initial recommended number of sessions.

Your body is unique. How many sessions you require will differ from someone else. Even your own body will differ from one area to the next. Packages make you pay for treatments you may not need.

That's not the only problem.

Most clinics have terms and conditions associated with packages that are precarious:

Your sessions are usually non-refundable, and must be used by a certain date (usually 12/18 months away). This can force you to space treatments too close together to achieve effective results; especially if you take a holiday, have a tan, get sick, or have other commitments over that very long period.

If you are late or can't attend, failing to provide at least 48 hours notice will usually forfeit that treatment.

Any prepaid money usually cannot be transferred to other treatment areas.

If you commit to a package but discover that it is not suitable for you, the company will usually not be liable and will claim it was your responsibility to know this.

Unless you know exactly how many treatments you need, are positive you will get great results, and are certain that every session will be safe, thorough and professional; pre-paying for packages that lock you in for many months is not a good idea.

At GCLC, we promise to always deliver you the best results possible in the least number of sessions - without ever locking you in.

A new client with no obvious concerns recently visited GCLC wanting advice on minimising the effects of ageing. We were stunned by an assessment she produced from another clinic advising numerous treatments exceeding $10,000!

When you visit a cosmetic business for a consultation, there are basically 2 experiences you can have:

1: They carefully listen to your concern, assess the cause and educate you about it. They then prescribe the best solution, and (should you approve) deliver the best result with as little intervention as possible.

2: Your consultation is a 'sales presentation': Your initial concern is met with a generic, often excessive treatment plan. Other problems that you previously had no issue with are pointed out. Various sales tactics are applied to coax you into committing to as much as possible.

There are variations on these approaches, but they represent the 2 basic models you will encounter.

The first focuses on CURING your concerns, the second focuses on CREATING them.

When openly discussing personal issues with a consultant, your self-esteem becomes vulnerable and exploitable. At this moment, an unethical consultant/business can easily take advantage of you to meet sales targets, increase revenue, or trap you in long-term treatment packages; and your fragile self-esteem will comply.

Being 'judged' by someone you have elected to trust while feeling vulnerable will compel you to act on their recommendation. Sales pitches often conclude with a 'Limited Time Offer', or 'Sign up for 10 at a reduced rate' package, climaxing with 'We offer zip-pay so you can pay nothing now'; and consent is given before you can think about it, or get a second opinion.

GCLC has deliberately established practice standards to ensure our clients are never put in these situations. Our Registered Nurses are trained to always put the needs of their patient first, and we preserve ethical integrity by not setting any sales targets or KPI's.

Trust and integrity is vital in this industry. Consumers have the power to improve standards across the board simply by choosing better services, and rejecting exploitative business models.

A recent enquiry asked if we would match a very cheap price they saw advertised. They preferred GCLC for our reputation, but hoped to receive our service standard for the same low price.

The enquirer did not ask us to match the competitor on any other level; just price.

Comparing cosmetic service is very different to comparing a product. Products remain the same from one seller to the next. When you shop for a cheaper price, you compare exactly the same item regardless of who sells it.

A cosmetic service is not a standardised item. Many variables differentiate one provider from the next, and significantly affect your safety, your results, and your overall satisfaction.

Cheap prices usually reflect cheap services. Asking an honest provider to lower a price is inadvertently asking them to reduce the standard of service they deliver to clients. We would never lower our standards as they are fundamental to our values and reputation.

For example, regarding this particular enquiry (Braz/Underarm hair removal), notable differences between GCLC and the very low priced competitor included:

The very best service costs more to deliver, and we aim to be the best.

You MUST be aware of 2 major issues when using injectors that travel or work on a contract basis. These factors can seriously affect your safety, appearance and finances:

Fact 1: Independent injectors ONLY earn money by injecting product - they do not earn money unless you are treated. The more they inject, the more they earn.

Fact 2: If complications arise, independent injectors are unlikely to be available in person - let alone quickly enough to prevent potentially irreversible damage (tissue necrosis or blindness). Lumps, infection, excessive bruising, unevenness or irregularities are unlikely to be assessed and treated promptly or regularly as needed to manage these issues.

Chances of major problems are minimal, but injectables do carry serious risks (infection, rejection, necrosis, and blindness being some of the worst). These risks are compounded when treatment is excessive or rushed.

People regularly turn to GCLC for help, sharing many stories of being judged critically, excessive product use, rushed appointments, no disclosure of risks, unnatural results, side effects needing intervention, inability to be reviewed by their treating injector for a month or more, etc.

How is GCLC different?

GCLC injectors are LOCAL nurses readily available when needed. We can quickly assess, manage and treat any concerns, providing a 24hr contact to all clients receiving dermal filler injections. Our clients also receive unlimited FREE LED treatments to help reduce any swelling, bruising or discomfort.

GCLC nurses are paid a set wage whether clients receive treatment or not. They will talk clients out of treatment when necessary, and can administer minimal product without sacrificing their wage.

Appointments at GCLC are up to 10x longer; allowing clients time to express needs, be thoroughly assessed, have risks explained, and be treated carefully and precisely - optimising safety and results.

The GCLC approach is unique. We actively prioritise client safety and appearance over profitability - maintaining the highest levels of care while ethically and responsibly helping clients achieve what THEY want safely, effectively, and with minimal intervention.

Ads don't provide enough facts to make informed choices and often encourage impulse buying. We believe cosmetic ads must be honest, ethical, non-judgemental and informative - never misleading.

Some marketing is purely false, e.g. IPL/SHR being advertised as 'Laser'. These devices do not produce single wavelengths of light, and therefore are not lasers. The technology, and how it interacts with your skin is very different.

While that is false advertising, many ads shrewdly 'hide' key information, which misleads. For example:

Advertising the price of a 'single treatment' is misleading if you must buy a 'package'. Packages often come with strict conditions, and can mean buying more than you need and forfeiting treatments if you need to reschedule your appointment.

Advertising the 'price per unit' of anti-wrinkle injections misleads because various brands differ greatly in quality and cost. Some low-strength products are cheaper 'per unit', but you need more than double the amount.

Advertising a 'fixed price' for anti-wrinkle injection areas (e.g. crow's feet) misleads because everybody's facial anatomy is unique. You may only need 6 units where others may need 24. Many people pay for more than they require or receive.

Advertising cheap hair removal areas can mislead. E.g. most Brazilian treatments only include the front area, whereas GCLC also treats the inner labia, perineum, anal sphincter and inner buttocks - more than twice the area.

Advertising filler prices by 'area' (e.g. cheeks/lips) misleads because it often refers to 1/2mL. Dermal fillers come in 1mL syringes and should not be split, especially between clients. The unused 1/2mL is no longer sterile once opened, increasing infection risks to the next client, which could be you. The quality of the product is also very important. Low price dermal filler products lead to poor results, increased side effects and more frequent top ups compared to high quality equivalents.

The GCLC ethos is to inform and educate, not manipulate and take advantage.

Online reviews and ratings should be a way to get an idea of what a business is like before trying it for yourself. Unfortunately they are easy to exploit.

At GCLC, we believe influencing online ratings and reviews in any way is absolutely unethical, particularly in an industry responsible for nurturing self esteem. Vulnerable people are easily exploited by this unethical behaviour.

Businesses often bribe clients with discounts and benefits in exchange for good reviews. Even more seriously, according to several investigations, many pay illegal entities to produce large quantities of fake reviews to boost ratings; or alternatively pay for fake negative reviews to target their competition. It's also common for review sites to accept payment to manipulate ratings and reviews.

The ACCC have warned consumers that not all posted reviews are legitimate, stating 15% of all online reviews are fake.

It seems the only way to approach online research is to closely examine a range of reviews, remaining skeptical of anything that seems vague, generic or insincere.

One must intentionally seek out reviews that are clearly genuine. People that have had truly good experiences take their time to write heartfelt, detailed reviews.

Negative reviews should be treated similarly. Remain skeptical and judge whether the reviewer seems genuine. Evaluate whether they are using the negative review to hurt the business, or to provide something helpful.

Clicking on the reviewer's name to investigate other reviews they have written can reveal whether someone is genuine, a fake reviewer, or a serial attacker.

In reality, the best method for researching a service provider is the good ol' fashioned way: speaking to someone you know that has used the service, or going in and evaluating it yourself.

GCLC has never asked clients to write reviews, nor have we ever offered clients discounts or benefits in exchange for positive reviews. We believe this is the only ethical way to ensure our online ratings are genuine and unbiased - and they mean so much more to us as a result.